


a gift called you

by saythewordsthen



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: (not graphic), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Minor TaeKai, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, mentions of death (but no one is dead!), mentions of vomiting, minor nomin, very minor markhyuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27692369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saythewordsthen/pseuds/saythewordsthen
Summary: The timer on your wrist counts down to when you meet your soulmate, but Taeyong can’t find his, and Doyoung’s died years ago.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 130
Collections: Challenge #3 — soulmates





	a gift called you

“Today’s the big day!” Jaemin says excitedly, wrapping his arm around Taeyong’s shoulders and squeezing. Taeyong smiles, pulling back from his friend. Today is probably the most important day for both of them: their soulmate timers will finish around noon, just a few seconds apart. Wherever Taeyong’s going to meet his soulmate, Jaemin’s will be there too. 

Both of Taeyong’s brothers met their soulmates before they turned 16. Taeyong spent years wishing his timer would hurry up and finish already, but now as it ticks closer he feels more and more uneasy. Soulmate doesn’t equal love or friend or family. They might be the love of his life, but they might also just be someone he’ll never speak to again, and that thought terrifies him. He really hopes it’s the  _ love of his life _ variety of soulmate. 

Back in his office, Taeyong can’t concentrate on anything except that timer counting down to the most important moment in his life. 3 hours left. 2 hours. The closer it gets, the bigger the knot grows in his stomach. 90 minutes. He might throw up. An hour. He’s definitely gonna throw up. 55 minutes. 45 minutes. Yeah, ok, he threw up. 

“Let’s go!” Jaemin says, swinging the door open at the 30 minute mark. He looks much better than Taeyong, like someone who definitely kept his breakfast down.

“Where?” Taeyong feels a little dazed, tearing his eyes away from his wrist.

“What do you mean, ‘where’? To find our soulmates!”

“I—” 

“Coffee! Let’s go!”

All Taeyong can think is _ 21 minutes 20 minutes oh god 19 minutes _ so he lets himself be dragged out of their office and they make their way to the cafe across the street. It seems like odd soulmate hunting grounds to Taeyong, considering they go there almost daily. But maybe Jaemin has the right idea, because Taeyong can see the crowd inside the cafe before the crosswalk signal even lights up. His own timer gets closer and closer as Taeyong crosses the street. Even Jaemin's starting to get nervous, his former excitement fizzling out into actual shaking as he reaches for the door.

“It’s okay, you got this,” Taeyong says, rubbing a hand on Jaemin’s back as they pull the door open. Jaemin relaxes under his touch and Taeyong tries to take comfort in that, but his own nerves are too frayed to think about anything except  _ 20 seconds 19 seconds 18 seconds. _

They stand completely still just inside the doorway, both watching their wrists and looking up when the timer is about to hit zero. A young guy behind the counter is standing staring at the doorway, his wrist held up near his face, mirroring theirs. Taeyong doesn't even have time to think  _ are you my—? _ before Jaemin is stumbling forward toward the counter. The guy’s eyes never leave Jaemin’s and Taeyong doesn’t need to wonder whose soulmate he is. 

Taeyong looks down at his wrist. Zero. He looks around, carefully checking every person in the room. No one is paying attention to him. No one looks like a person who just watched their timer count down. He goes back outside, just to check, maybe someone on the street? A couple glances at him as they walk by, but nothing unusual. 

Going back inside, Taeyong decides this is the time to try all the awkward ideas he’s seen on every drama ever.

“Hi,” he says, walking up to the person closest to him. He holds up his wrist. “Did your timer just end?”

The woman apologizes and tells him no, hers is still going. He gets this a lot as he goes around the room, along with people who already found their soulmate. A lot of pitying looks and apologies but he doesn’t really have the patience to care right now.

This is bullshit! This isn’t how it’s supposed to work. Sure, your soulmate might be a dick or you’re just not into them or a long list of reasons you’re not going to be in love, but you’re still supposed to find them! To have your timer get to zero and there’s just… no one? This doesn’t even make sense.

Taeyong finishes interrogating the last person in the room when he notices a new man coming out through the employee doors, carrying a stack of coffee cups. He almost trips over himself in his rush to get to the counter. This is it! Maybe this guy was here and then went to the back room so Taeyong didn't see him at first. He slams his hands down, steadying himself, and maybe it was a bit too strong because the poor guy jumps and almost drops his armful of cups. He narrows his dark eyes at Taeyong. 

“Yes?” 

Oh shit, his voice is  _ smooth, _ Taeyong thinks and pauses perhaps a bit too long before he remembers he had questions.

  
“Hi, yeah, sorry!” Taeyong says, sounding like someone who has already had way too much coffee and should probably be kept away from the sugar, too. He lifts his arm and holds his wrist out toward the man, waving it a little. “Did your timer—did it run out?”

He doesn't immediately say no, and Taeyong feels like he might vibrate out of his skin. But then the man is shaking his head and apologizing and Taeyong struggles to hear over the buzzing in his ears.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he’s saying. Taeyong blinks a few times, trying to focus on the man as he also raises his arm, showing a timer frozen and turned the shiny white color that indicates the tragedy of your soulmate dying before you meet. “You can’t be my soulmate.”

“Oh.”

“I’m really sorry—?”

“Taeyong,” he supplies, still a little in a trance of disappointment. 

“Taeyong. I’m Doyoung,” the man says, giving a sympathetic smile. “Did you ask around? I’m sure they’re here somewhere.”

“Yeah, I did, I—” Taeyong is cut off by Jaemin reappearing and grabbing his arm excitedly.

“Taeyong! Our soulmates both work here? What are the odds!” he beams at Taeyong, still holding the hand of the sweet looking guy on the other side of the counter. “This is Jeno!”

Jeno smiles at Taeyong and goes right back to studying Jaemin’s face so lovingly it makes Taeyong feel like he’s going to lose his breakfast for a second time. 

“I’m Jaemin!” Jaemin says happily, reaching his hand out to shake Doyoung’s.

“Oh, I’m not—”

Before Doyoung can finish that sentence and before Taeyong has time to think, Taeyong shoots his hand out to awkwardly pat Doyoung’s shoulder.

“This is Doyoung, he’s not big on shaking hands,” Taeyong says, feeling his soul leave his body and wondering what exactly is wrong with him. “Yes, yep, this is my soulmate!”

Doyoung, bless his heart, doesn’t immediately run and banish Taeyong from the cafe. Instead he stammers briefly before putting on a big (fake) smile and reaching his hand out to Jaemin.

“I’ll make an exception, hello,” he says, shaking Jaemin’s hand. Jeno takes a break from admiring his new soulmate to beam happily at his coworker.

“Oh!” Jeno says. “I didn’t know your timer was up today!”

“Yeees,” Doyoung draws out, keeping his wrist down and reaching out to Taeyong. “We are soulmates. So.”

After agreeing that they would all get to know each other later, Taeyong and Jaemin needed to go back to work. Jaemin was exchanging phone numbers with Jeno and Taeyong felt weird just standing there. He should get Doyoung’s number, so he can apologize later in private and also maybe tell Doyoung that he isn’t normally this weird, he promises. 

“Uh, can we…” Taeyong trails off, holding his phone out a little. He’s not totally sure—he isn’t always great at reading strangers—but it seems like Doyoung is trying not to laugh.

“Sure, soulmate,” he says, grabbing Taeyong’s phone and entering his number. He gives it back and Taeyong gives a small and totally not awkward wave as he leaves the cafe. 

Taeyong spends his whole train ride home that night trying to think of an appropriate excuse for losing your mind and accidentally insisting someone be your fake soulmate. He can’t believe this. He not only didn’t find his soulmate, he conned some poor, soulmate-less widower guy into lying to his coworker. That’s… not good. Like is Doyoung kind and handsome and basically anything you could dream of in a soulmate? Sure. But he’s  _ not  _ Taeyong’s soulmate. 

By the time he gets home, he still hasn’t come up with anything good. The best so far is “hey, I’m sorry your soulmate is dead but maybe do you want a second one?” which is just. Not a winner. As soon as he enters the house, he realizes his mistake. He was so focused on this thing with Doyoung that he forgot the importance of today. His own timer ran out. He was supposed to find his soulmate. His entire family knows this, and this family  _ loves _ soulmates.

“Congratulations!” everyone cheers, jumping up the second he’s inside the doorway. His parents, aunt and uncle, brothers and their soulmates. Everyone is beaming at him expectantly.

“Oh, hi!” He wants to tell them the truth. They’re his family, he can tell them. “I, uh…”

“What’s he like?” his mom asks, and she just looks so happy. They all do. Smiling at him and ready to share in this happy moment. He’s not sure he can take it if all those faces are suddenly full of pity.

  
“His name’s Doyoung,” Taeyong says, like a liar. “He works at the cafe across from work. I can’t believe we never met before.”

Once that first lie starts, they just start rolling off his tongue. He starts listing how much he and Doyoung have in common, how they have the same favorite animal and favorite food and  _ how weird is that, I know, it’s fate, soulmates are amazing. _ Things are winding down when his aunt and uncle leave and he thinks he’s almost free. Then his brother, Taemin, is pulling him aside and telling him how happy he is, how he can’t wait to get to know Doyoung, and inviting them both over to his and Jongin’s apartment for dinner the next weekend. Taeyong accepts the invitation before he can even think things through. 

“Bye, Donghyuck,” Taeyong says, patting his younger brother’s soulmate on the back as he leaves. Mark follows him out to say goodbye and Taeyong is finally able to sneak away. He sits heavily on his bed and pulls out his phone. Oh god, now he really has a lot to apologize for. He finds Doyoung’s contact, which was helpfully named “Kim Doyoung ❤️🚫.”

Kim Doyoung ❤️🚫  
  
**Taeyong:** i'm sorry  
  
**Doyoung:** ahh, my soulmate!!  
  
**Taeyong:** i don’t know what i was thinking, i’m so sorry  
  
**Doyoung:** it's ok, taeyong  
  
**Taeyong:** ehhhhhhhh you don’t know what i did  
  
**Doyoung:** um  
  
****what did you do?  
  
**Taeyong:** so i was gonna tell the truth  
  
****really  
  
****well to everyone except jaemin bc that kinda  
  
****you know  
  
**Doyoung:** ok?  
  
**Taeyong:** but i see my family and they’re all so happy, you know?  
  
****and i was like self, just tell them  
  
****but?? and then i said you were my soulmate  
  
**Doyoung:** 😐😐😐  
  
**Taeyong:** and then i said we would go to my brother’s for dinner next weekend  
  
**Doyoung:** taeyong...  
  
**Taeyong:** i know!!! i’m so sorry, idek what’s wrong with me  
  
****but like  
  
****will you go?  
  
**Doyoung:** you have a soulmate out there, why are you even bothering with this?  
  
**Taeyong:** that's the thing though  
  
****i don't think i have one  
  
****bc i checked everyone in the cafe  
  
****and outside  
  
****and nothing  
  
**Doyoung:** i'm sorry  
  
**Taeyong:** it’s ok, forget i asked, i’m sorry i dragged you into this.  
  
**Doyoung:** no  
  
****i can go  
  
****i'll do it  
  
**Taeyong:** really???  
  
**Doyoung:** yeah  
  
****sure, it's not a big deal  
  
****i'm a better liar than you, anyway  
  
**Taeyong:** what!! please.  
  
**Doyoung:** oh yeah? Mr. “he’s not big on handshakes”?  
  
**Taeyong:**...fine  
  
****thank you  
  
**Doyoung:** sure  
  


  
  
  
  


By the time he goes to sleep that night, Taeyong's almost forgotten he didn’t find his soulmate after all. 

  


The next week flies by and Taeyong mostly resists the urge to constantly text Doyoung. He has to keep reminding himself this guy is  _ not your soulmate. _ But it’s hard to listen to that when Jaemin wants to spend lunch every day at the cafe and there’s no logical reason why Taeyong wouldn’t go. He thinks about just telling Jaemin the truth, but he can't seem to spit out the words. He knows it won’t last like this, but he just… wants to pretend a little longer. 

Doyoung is an amazing fake soulmate. He knows Taeyong’s coffee order and keeps buying it for him, and pushing him away whenever Taeyong tries to pay. Since Doyoung won’t take his money, Taeyong starts bringing in snacks to give him. Thursday, he slips into the busy cafe with a tiny key lime tart in a box for Doyoung. He walks around to the side of the counter and pushes the box toward Doyoung, who is busy steaming milk. He looks up and smiles when he sees Taeyong and it just—ok, that one hurt. Doyoung has such a beautiful, wide smile. Taeyong smiles back after a moment and thinks about all the different ways he’s in over his head. 

The next evening, Taeyong waits for Doyoung at the train station after they’re both off work, so they can head to Taemin’s apartment together. They sit down together on the train and Taeyong feels his mouth moving before he can stop it.

“When did your soulmate die?” he swears he can feel the words echoing around them.  _ Rude! Don’t ask about dead soulmates, that is date 101. Wait, is this a date? _

“I was just a kid,” Doyoung answers, and he doesn’t seem to have noticed Taeyong’s slight meltdown. Doyoung lifts up his wrist so Taeyong can see the white numbers better. “I still had 20 years to go. We would have met this year, actually.”

“Oh,” Taeyong breathes. His soulmate must have died as a child. That’s horrible, and somehow the possibility had never crossed Taeyong’s mind. “I’m sorry.”

“I never knew them,” Doyoung shrugs. “I don’t even really remember how it looked before this.”

“But not having a soulmate now,” Taeyong says, reaching out a finger to brush across the numbers. Doyoung’s fingers curl into a loose fist and he moves his wrist away. “It’s horrible. I'm sorry.”

“It’s okay. A lot of people don’t have soulmates. You don’t,” Doyoung says and turns to look at Taeyong. They’re inches apart and Taeyong is suddenly aware of every part of his side pressed into Doyoung’s. And he’s right—they don’t have soulmates. It sucks but maybe…

The train garbles the announcement that they’re almost to Taemin’s stop, so Taeyong clears his throat and nods to Doyoung. They get up to exit the train and the moment passes, but Taeyong spends the entire walk to Taemin’s apartment thinking of how cold his side feels now, pressed against nothing but air. 

At first, dinner is a breeze. Doyoung really is better at lying and the conversation flows easily. He charms Taeyong’s family so fast it’s insulting, really. It’s not until Doyoung is passing the dessert to Taemin, his wrist turned up and exposed, that Taeyong realizes the problem. Taemin looks down, clearly seeing the timer, and Taeyong starts running through excuses in his head. But his brother beats him to it. 

“Ohh, Taeyong,” Taemin breathes, gently tapping Doyoung’s timer. “From when you had your surgery. I never thought about that, of course it would stop your soulmate’s timer.”

Taeyong and Doyoung both stare at Taemin unblinking. Silence goes on a bit too long and Jongin nudges Taemin. 

“Oh, I’m sorry?” Taemin says, like he knows he should apologize but he’s unsure why. “I know it must have been hard on you, thinking you had lost your soulmate.”

They stare for another charged minute before Doyoung turns to Taeyong. 

“Surgery?”

“I…” Taeyong is still staring at his brother. Why didn’t he think of this? Taemin’s right. “Uh, I had surgery when I was 5 and my heart stopped for just over a minute. It was 20 years ago. I—would the timer stop like that?”

He directs the last question at Taemin and both Taeyong and Doyoung stare at him intensely. Taemin squirms.

“Guys, what’s going on?” Jongin asks, reaching his hand out for Taemin. “Don’t you already know this?”

The story spills out of them, how they met and Taeyong lied because he didn’t want Jaemin to know, then he lied because he didn’t want his family to know. How Doyoung went along with it because he didn’t have a soulmate anyway. Taeyong trails off talking as he looks at Doyoung and sees the other man smiling at him. Jongin makes some excuse about something he needs Taemin to see and grabs his soulmate, dragging him from the table. Seconds later, Doyoung and Taeyong are alone. They both stand up, moving toward each other hesitantly. 

“You’re my soulmate?” Taeyong asks, his heart racing in his chest. He feels overwhelmed with relief. He wanted this— _ Doyoung _ —before but he was scared. He’s not scared now. 

“You’re mine,” Doyoung says, reaching out for Taeyong. Doyoung lets out a small, relieved sigh and Taeyong feels the breath on his skin seconds before Doyoung’s lips are sliding against his own. He wraps his arms around Doyoung and pushes against his shoulder blades, dragging him in closer. Someone is trembling and Taeyong’s not sure if it’s himself or Doyoung, or both of them. There’s a hand twisting in his hair and Taeyong knows he's never felt like this before. His mind hums  _ soulmate soulmate soulmate  _ with every heartbeat. _ Doyoung Doyoung Doyoung. _

Later, after they manage to finish dinner and they’re back on the train, Taeyong brings Doyoung’s wrist to his lips and kisses the timer. 

“I’m so glad it’s you.”

**Author's Note:**

> you made it through my first fic ever, thank you for reading! now pls be gentle, i am weak.
> 
> text message work skin: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18844690


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